Press with removable pressure cylinders



Nov. 5, 1963 D. F. COLLINS 3,109,363

PRESS WITH REMOVABLE PRESSURE CYLINDERS Filed Jan. 31, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. DON E COLLINS AT T YS.

Nov. 5, 1963 D. F. COLLINS 3,109,363

PRESS WITH REMOVABLE PRESSURE CYLINDERS Filed Jan. 51, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG.3

FIG4

T I I l INVENTOR. DON F. COLLINS ATTYS.

United States Patent Ofiice 3,19%,363 Patented Nov. 5, 1963 3,16%363 PRESS WIIH REMOVABLE PRESSURE CYLINDERS Don F. Collins, Pontiac, Mich, assignor to Ariarnson United Company, Akron, ()hio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Jan. 31, 1962, Ser. No. 170,184 7 Claims. (Cl. 100-195) This invention relates to hydraulic presses for generating many tons of pressure and adapted to the fabrication of plywood and the like, and, more particularly, is concern-ed with an improvement to these presses whereby the hydraulic motor means can be more readily removed, repaired, and replaced.

Heretofore in the usual high capacity hydraulic press the hydraulic motor means are so integrally built into the press that the servicing, repair or replacement thereof entails a relatively complicated, time-consuming, and expensive operation merely to replace gaskets, packing, or other parts in the motor means which wear or deteriorate in service.

It is the general object of the invention to provide in a large hydraulic press capable of producing many tons of pressure improved, mounting means for the hydraulic motors, sometimes called hydraulic cylinders, whereby the motors can be more readily serviced or removed and replaced.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a heavy duty hydraulic press of the type having a plurality of vertically directed horizontally spaced and parallel plates with aligned windows, the plates being secured together with tie rods and spacers, a plurality of vertically spaced horizontally directed platens received in the window openings of the plates, and a plurality of hydraulic motors pivotally supported on the tie rods and spacers between each set of plates, and locking means for securing the motors in platen-moving position but removable to allow the motors :to be tilted and serviced.

The foregoing objects of the invention, and other objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds, are achieved by the combination in a press, of a support frame, a plurality of platens mounted at vertically spaced positions in the frame, a plurality of fluid pressure motor means positioned under the lowermost platen and operable to move the platens towards each other, means pivotally mounting the motor means for movement from platen operating position to a tilted position where the motor means can be removed from the mounting means, and means for removably locking the mounting means to position the motor means in platen operating position.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings wherein FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partially broken away, of a press constructed to incorporate the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the press of H6. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view, partial-1y broken away, and taken substantially on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an end elevation taken from the left side of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the locking means taken substantially on line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

In the drawings, the numerals indicate a plurality of vertically directed, horizontally spaced, parallel positioned plates having aligned windows 12 therein, the plates being connected together at their tops above the window 12 by a plurality of tie rods 14 extending through aligned holes in the plates, and with spacer tubes 16 being slidably received on the rods between each adjacent pair of plates 10. Thus, when nuts 18 are tightened on the threaded ends of the tie rods 14 the plates 1d are held very firmly in position. FIG. 2 shows that struts 20 in the form of flat plates, are welded between the sleeves 16 so that the edges of the struts 20 likewise engage with the sides of the plates 10 to thereby further increase the strength and truss-like rigidity of the assembly.

In like fashion, the bottoms of the plates 10 below the window 12 are secured together by tie rods 22 having nuts 24 threaded on their ends, and with the tie rods 22 slidably receiving tubular sleeves 26, the ends of the sleeves 26 engaging with the sides of the plates 1'0. Struts 28, in the form of flat plates like struts 20, are welded to connect the sleeves 26 in the manner best seen in FIG. 2- However, the struts 28 are made narrower than the length of the sleeves 26, with the edges of the struts 28 being spaced from the sides of the plates 10 so that the saddles mounting the fluid pressure motors, such saddles being hereinafter described, will clear the side edges of the struts.

Positioned in vertically spaced, horizontally extending direction in the Windows 12 of. the plates 10 are a plurality of platens 30 appropriately received in guides 32. The top or head platen 30 is normally secured by its upper surface to the underside of the top of the window openings 12 in the plates 10, and the remaining platens are appropriately distributed in the windows in the vertically spaced relation shown by known means, not shown, which form no part of the present invention, but which allow vertically upward movement of the platens towards the head platen to heat under high pressure any material, such as plywood, or the like, positioned between the platens and fed therebetween from the end of the press.

Coming now to the hydraulic pressure motors, indicated as a whole by the numeral 36, two motors 36 are positioned between each pair of adjac nt plates 10. Each hydraulic motor 36 is mounted upon a saddle, indicated as a Whole by the numeral 38. Each saddle 38 includes a pair of end plates 40 having slots 42 which straddle down over the sleeves 26 carried on the tie rods 22 nearest to the bottom of the plates 10. Note that the tie rods 22 upon which the saddles 38 rest are made of greater cross section and strength than the tie rods throughout the remainder of the press.

The plates 40 forming the sides of each saddle 38 have a box-like structure 44 carried between their upper ends, and with the box-like structure 44 including laterally directed plates 46, best seen in FIG. 4, whose ends are dovetailed into the upper ends of the side plates 49, and with the plates 46 receiving the dovetailed ends of plates 48, thereby forming the square boxes 44 into which the hydraulic motors 36 fit, all in the manner illustrated in the drawings.

Each hydraulic motor 36 has a square plate 50 at its piston rod end, and this square plate is secured by capscrews 52 to spacer and load bars 54 welded to the top of each box 44.

Thus each hydraulic motor 36 is strongly held in a vertical position in a cradle 38-, with the plates 40 of the cradle 38 engaging the tie rods, or more specifically the sleeves 26 on the tie rods 22 very close to the support for each tie rod as provided by the respective plates 10. Very little bending moment is thus applied on the tie rods, these being substantially in shear, when the fluid pressure motors are operated.

Each piston rod 60 extending upwardly from each pressure motor 36 has a collar 6-2 attached thereto, and these collars 62 are engaged by flanges 64 bolted by cap screws 66 to the bottom flange of an I-beam 68 which engages the lower or base platen 30, all as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings. Thus, when the fluid pressure motors 36 are energized by means of conduits 7i) and 72 for the pressure and return strokes, respec tively, the platens 30' are moved against. the articles stacked therebetween with a very high pressure which is accumulative of that produced by all of the individual hydraulic motors. The conduits 70 and 72 can be made flexible, to allow tilting movement of the hydraulic motors, as hereinafter described, or can be made so that they can be readily disconnected from the hydraulic motors to allow movement thereof.

By means of the cradle mounting described for each hydraulic pressure motor 36 it is possible to tilt each cradle 38 and its associated hydraulic motor 36 from the full line position shown in FIG. 3 to the dotted line position shown in this figure, for servicing of the hydraulic motor. .In order to perform this operation it is only necessary to remove the cap screws 66 and flange 64 at the outer side of the collar 62 whereupon the entire cradle 38 can be tilted together with the motor 36 to the dotted line position, the sides 40' of the cradle clearing the struts 28 when this is done.

It is usually desirable to have some means for securing each cradle 38 in a full line position of FIG. 3 to hold the hydraulic motor 36 in platen operating position, and

- to this end, bolt means, indicated as a whole by the numeral 8t) and shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 are provided. The bolt means 80 extend through aligned holes in a plate and in the end plates 40 of the cradles 38 positioned between the plates 1%. FIG. 5 shows that the bolt means extending through the aligned holes carries a tapered end sleeve 82, and appropriate spacing washers, whereby the positioning and tightening of the bolts 80, in the manner described, effects the locking of each cradle in platen operating position. However, it is a relatively simple matter to remove the bolt means 80 and knock out the tapered end sleeves 8 2 to unlock each cradle 38 so that it can be moved or tilted from the full line to the dotted line position of FIG. 3.

Once the cradle 38 and its associated hydraulic motor 36 is moved to the dotted line position of FIG. 3 it is a simple matter to remove the cap screws 52 and then remove the entire hydraulic motor 36 from the cradle. A new or a repaired cylinder can then be positioned in the cradle, it can be moved back to the full line position of FIG. 3 after the cap screws 52 are used to secure the motor to the cradle. With the cradle in operative position the tapered end sleeve 82 and bolt means 80' are readily repositioned to lock the cradle in operative posi tion. In this manner servicing of the hydraulic motors 36 is greatly facilitated with a minimum of time and effort, and with substantially no disassembly of any important press parts being necessary.

The invention of the application has been illustrated with an up acting press but obviously can be used with presses acting in other directions including down acting,

V horizontally acting, etc.

Thus, while a certain representative embodiment and details have been shown 'for the purpose of illustrating the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a press, a plurality of flat metal plates having aligned windows cut therein, a plurality of spacer spools and tie rods extending between the plates at the top and bottom thereof and holding the plates in spaced apart vertical relation, a press head carried horizontally at the top of the windows in the plates, a plurality of press platens carried at vertically spaced positions in the windows of the plates, a plurality of saddles mounted on the tie rods between each pair of plates at the bottom' of the plates, said saddles having downwardly opening slots fitting over the spools on the tie rods, a hydraulic cylinder mounted on each saddle and having an upwardly extending piston rod, a beam engaging the lowermost platen between each pair of plates, mews releasably securing each piston rod between a pair of plates to the beam between the pair of plates, and means releasably securing an upper portion of each saddle to a plate whereby when the releasable means are removed each saddle with its hydraulic cylinder can be tilted between the plates about one tie rod to a position where the hydraulic cylinder can be removed.

2. In a press, a plurality of flat metal plates having aligned windows cut therein, a plurality of spacer spools and tie rods extending between the plates at the top and bottom thereof and holding the plates in spaced apart vertical relation, at least a pair of press platens carried at vertically spaced positions in the windows of the plates, a pair of saddles mounted on the tie rods between eachpair of plates at the bottom of the plates, said saddles having downwardly opening slots fitting over the spools on the tie rods, a hydraulic cylinder mounted on each saddle and having an upwardly extending piston rod, a beam engaging the lowermost platen between each pair of plates, means releasably securing each piston rod between a pair of plates to the beam between the pair of plates, and means releasably securing an upper portion of each saddle to a plate whereby when the releasable means are removed each saddle with its hydraulic cylinder can be tilted between the plates about one tie rod to a position where the hydraulic cylinder can be removed.

3. In a press, a plurality of vertically directed plates positioned in spaced parallel relation and having aligned windows therein, .top tie means extending between the plates, bottom tie means extending between the plates, a plurality of platens positioned to extend horizontally through the windows of the plates, fluid pressure motor means positioned between each pair of plates, a cradle carrying each motor means, and means pivotally mounting each cradle on the bottom tie means and tiltable to position each motor means either in vertical platen operating position or to an inclined position at which the motor means can be removed from the cradle, and means for locking the motor means-in vertical platen moving position. 7 p

4. In a press, 'a plurality of vertically directed plates positioned in spaced parallel relation and having aligned Windows therein, top support means extending between the plates, bottom support means extending between the plates, a plurality of platens positioned to extend horizontally through the windows of the plates and adapted to be moved to and from each other in parallel relation, fluid pressure motor means pivotally mounted on the bottom support means entirely beneath the lowermost platen and movable from a position to move a platen to a position extendipg laterally of the plates whereby the motor means can be removed, and means for locking the motor means to a plate when in platen moving position.

5. In a press, a support frame, a plurality of platens mounted at vertically spaced positions in the frame, a plurality of fluid pressure motor means positioned completely under the lowermost platen and operable to move the platens towards each other, means pivotally mounting the motor means for movement from platen operating position to a tilted position where the motor means can be removed from the mounting means beneath the lowermost platen, and means for removably locking the mounting means to position the motor means in fixed position in the frame when in platen operating position.

6. In a press, a support frame, a plurality of platens mounted in parallel spaced positions in the frame, for movement in parallel to and from each other fluid pressure motor means comprising a cylinder and an extending piston rod, the rod being positioned to engage a platen and operable to move the platens towards each other in parallel relation, means pivotally mounting the cylinder of the motor means on the frame for movement from platen operating position to a tilted position where the motor means can be removed from the mounting means, and means for removably locking the cylinder of the mountg eans to the frame and the rod of the motor means to a platen to position the motor means in platen operat ing position.

7. In a press, a plurality of flat metal plates having aligned windows out therein, a plurality of spacer spools and tie rods extending between the plates at the top and bottom thereof and holding the plates in spaced apart vertical relation, at least a pair of press platens carried at vertically spaced positions in the windows of the plates, a pair of saddles mounted on the tie rods between each pair of plates at the bottom of the plates, said saddles having downwardly opening slots fitting over the spools on the tie rods, a hydraulic cylinder mounted on each saddle and having an upwardly extending piston rod, means releasably securing each piston rod between a pair of plates to the lowermost platen, and means releasably securing an upper portion of each saddle to a plate whereby when the releasable means are removed each saddle with its hydraulic cylinder can be tilted between the plates about one tie rod to a position where the hy draulic cylinder can be removed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 168,557 Churchill Oct. 11, 1875 2,094,862 Welch Oct. 5, 1937 2,586,728 Burns et al. Jan. 1, 1952 2,627,289 Berthelsen Feb. 3, 1953 2,671,481 Quick Mar. 9, 1954 2,717,421 Beeson Sept. 13, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 607,491 Germany Dec. 28, 1934 560,229 Great Britain Mar. 27, 1944 Sweden June 17, 1952 

1. IN A PRESS, A PLURALITY OF FLAT METAL PLATES HAVING ALIGNED WINDOWS CUT THEREIN, A PLURALITY OF SPACER SPOOLS AND TIE RODS EXTENDING BETWEEN THE PLATES AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM THEREOF AND HOLDING THE PLATES IN SPACED APART VERTICAL RELATION, A PRESS HEAD CARRIED HORIZONTALLY AT THE TOP OF THE WINDOWS IN THE PLATES, A PLURALITY OF PRESS PLATENS CARRIED AT VERTICALLY SPACED POSITIONS IN THE WINDOWS OF THE PLATES, A PLURALITY OF SADDLES MOUNTED ON THE TIE RODS BETWEEN EACH PAIR OF PLATES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PLATES, SAID SADDLES HAVING DOWNWARDLY OPENING SLOTS FITTING OVER THE SPOOLS ON THE TIE RODS, A HYDRAULIC CYLINDER MOUNTED ON EACH SADDLE AND HAVING AN UPWARDLY EXTEND- 